Booked and Mostly Paid For

Flights booked to Geneva - Rome - Toronto.  

Fortunate to have girlfriends that love to do the same thing as me.  Hike, hike, and more hiking!  That will be the first leg of our trip.  From Geneva we travel to Chamonix, France to start a 9 day full on hiking trip circumnavigating the Mont Blanc.  The trek is called the TMB.  I think it is one of the treks you do as a right of passage for those serious hikers wanting altitude and big ascents.

It is now official training time for this group of 6 women.  Cardo conditioning, and hill work is a priority but also lengthy hikes as we will be hiking up to 9 hours a day.  That puts strain on your back, knees, and of course my poor feet.  I am reading a lot of articles on how to support and not support your feet.  Also looking at hiking boots that would better support my feet, although climbing Kilimanjaro two years ago, my feet did just fine and my Asolo boots really rocked the rugged climb.  Don't fix what is not broken, I repeat often.

Here is a picture of our overall route of the 9 days.

March 2017

This is common for me.  Common in that I put away my journal for months at a time and then one day, something inspires me to write again.  Only today, nothing has really inspired me except for time.  I have time on my hands today (thought that would never happen). 

My last post was over a year or two ago.  Yup, I was posting about Kilimanjaro and then I left these pages hanging high and dry.  What has happened since that time...

Here is the world's briefest update of the past two years:

• Came back from Africa where I left my footprints on Kilimanjaro, and met some really cool African Serengeti animals
• Celebrated on Vancouver Island, my Aunt Terry's 90th birthday
• Juggled 5 contract jobs which has provided the most amazing time freedom
• Lily finished up grade 1 French immersion and went into grade two last Sept
• Had an epic summer in 2015 and 2016 especially at the cottage with friends and family
• In summer of 2016 we said good-bye to Charlotte, my first baby (of the fur kind) who was 13 years and 3 months to the day.
• Lily got to go with Auntie ME to camp Olympia on her own last summer
• Signed up for Tap, Jazz and Ballet (of course that was Lily not me)
• Lost baby teeth and grew gown up teeth AND Lily saved lots of tooth fairy money
• Paid off my car just in time to watch it fall apart
• Erik put a deck in the backyard so now spend way more time hanging in the back
• Kitchen is now on the 3rd or 4th reno...lost count
• Planning for Tour of Mont Blanc in Sept 2017....yippee.  We will have 8 nights and 9 days in the Alps followed by an excursion to Italy for someone's 50th.

  

  Summer 2016 at C.I

Grade 1 is A OK

Grade 1 seems to going without a hitch. I know, famous last words.  It was an easy transition from her SR. Kindergarten class as it is all the same kids in her class. Just a new teacher and Lily thinks she is pretty awesome. She wears high heels and gas painted toe nails. 

Below she is decorating a shoe box to bring to school to keep her  school shies in. Oh and if you are wondering, that is a picture of Terry Fox petting a snake. 

Kilimanjaro Count Down

In two weeks I will be all packed and full of Turkey dinner ...and about to embark or I should say continue on a journey we committed to last October. 

Many people have been asking me how I am feeling and I have to say I am a little more nervous now than I have been all year.  Maybe anxious is a better word. With two weeks left I still need to grab my sleeping mat, silk sleeping bag liner, get these cool patches sewn onto me summit jacket, alter hiking pants, and finalize my medical kit and my snack bag. Not too bad really. 

I have taken to sleeping in my sleeping bag. I have two and I want to see which one keeps me warmer.  I am also anxious about my hiking boots. I think I just bought pair number 5. Returned 3 and the 4th will be my backup.  MEC now expects me every week. Why am I so crazy about boots you wonder. Here it is in two words, Flat Feet. 

Counting Down to October 2015

I can't believe that I will be on top of this mountain in less than 9 months.  On top of being on top of a mountain I will be climbing with 5 of my dear girlfriends, plus another 12-14 people who have signed up to live a dream of a lifetime too.


To give some history on this climb, I had thought about doing this at some point in my life back in the early 90's.  I had written a list of things I wanted to accomplish in my life on the inside cover of the book, "The Snow Leopard" by Peter Matthiessen.  Not only did I have written down Kilimanjaro, I also wrote down the following two things in the order that you see it below:

1. adopt a baby

1. have a baby biologically (god willing)

I got really close to this climb in late 2008.  I was asked to be a part of "Climb for The Cure" climb with Wood Gundy.  But as it happened it was the beginning of the global recession and the climb was called off.  So I gave up on my dream...for a little while.  Instead another dream entered my life and her name is Lily.


For those of you who do not know my story you will have to go back to the beginning of my blog on my journey to adopt Lily.  But remember, at the time I wrote this list I had no idea I would be diagnosed with breast cancer.  In hindsight I just found it fascinating how life played out for me. 

What's New Pussy Cat? Backdating to 2013!

Hallowe'en was a huge success this year with lots of build up.  Lily new from the very first time we spoke of Hallowe'en that she was going to be a kitty cat.  Even when I knew the temperature was going to drop, and purchasing a penguin costume, that kitty cat was not budging.  So I had to put on lots of layers that rainy night and gave her penguin costume away to the neighbour.

CANDY!! 

It is making me crazy.  Now I get what my friends have said all along..."just take half of it away that night when she sleeps".  But I did not and now I am faced every single moment of the day with, "I want candy".  When I say "no" the request gets louder and louder until it is a scream and cry and a huge meltdown.  I have been lucky this far not to expereince too many of these so now I am in unchartered territory.

HELP!

So I am looking for some good tips.  Lily is now stashing it in her pockets, backpack, toys, boots, you name it.  I can't really take it away as she has made it a full time job to sort it (which is kinda fun and I remember doing that when little)

It is a Happy New Year!

Wow - 2015 Already!

I know so many parents say, "where does the time go" and I too sometimes think that but for the most part, I know where the time goes.  I work hard to parent in the moment, count my blessings daily and laugh as much as possible.

Like all things in life, there are good days and not so good days but for the most part this mamma is very happy and grateful for all her blessings in life.

I am not an avid blog writer the way I used to be when I was waiting and bringing home Lily.  I want to change that.  For the past couple months I have been throwing around thoughts in my head about writing again and, what should I write about?  I have so many topics to choose from.  As I settle into motherhood, school life and home, I put forth another life opportunity for 2015.  It has been on a list of mine since 1996 and the greater universe brought it to my doorstep at the end of October last year
.  

Mount Kilimanjaro